The proposed Property Tax Independence Act (SB76 - School Property Tax Elimination) would raise state personal income and sales taxes and expand the sales tax base to reduce school property taxes. Its impact varies depending on where you live. While property taxes would be reduced, not every Pennsylvanian's taxes will be cut. Many will pay MORE.

On behalf of our organizations (the PA Principals Association, the PA Association of Intermediate Units, the PA Association of School Administrators, the PA Association of School Business Officials, the PA Association of Rural and Small Schools, the PA School Boards Association and the PA State Education Association) and the more than 200,000 Pennsylvanians we represent, we urge you to oppose a plan to eliminate school property taxes (commonly referred to as SB 76). While we recognize an overreliance on property taxes for school funding exists, complete elimination has dangerous, unintended consequences, and simply goes too far. The proposal would destabilize our public education funding system, create greater inequities, and enhance the divide between state-determined winners and losers.

Most polls show voters in favor of any effort in Harrisburg to enact property tax reform, or eliminate them completely. With legislators once again raising the hope it will be adopted this session, Pottsgrove SD officials putting together another budget took the time to see what that would look like had last year’s school tax elimination bill been adopted. And what they found is that there are indeed lots of devils in those details.

Looks like Gov. Wolf has his wish. As he starts the second half of his four-term as governor, Wolf gets to tackle a rather serious state budget turnaround effort.Click here for full article. Source: PennLive.com, Jan. 27, 2017.

Pennsylvania's grim state budget forecast is getting gloomier. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled Legislature are facing a potential shortfall of nearly $3 billion through next summer, based on new projections by the state Legislature's Independent Fiscal Office.

Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s nominee for education secretary, has promised that she would enforce federal laws meant to protect students with disabilities, a move meant to reassure senators, advocates and parents who were unsettled by positions she seemed to stake out at her recent confirmation hearing.

The school choice debate in Pennsylvania may come to the foreground this legislative session with new Senate Education Committee Chairman John H. Eichelberger Jr., R-Blair, promising an aggressive agenda to evaluate and fund effective education options.